Learning Outcomes

Participants will gain expertise to holistically manage horticultural systems, optimize climate and irrigation, apply nutrition and fertilizer strategies, and control pests and diseases, improving crop quality and yields.

Key Topics

• Climate and Its Effects: Explore temperature, humidity, light, and CO2 impacts on crop quality and production.
• Climate Control: Learn how photosynthesis is affected by greenhouse roof design, orientation of greenhouses, beds, and gutters.
• Nutrients and Deficiencies: Study nutrient functions, deficiencies, and toxicities
• pH Management: Understand pH’s role in nutrient availability and methods to control pH.
• Fertilizers: Explore EC of fertilizers, water-soluble formulations, Fe chelates, and a summary of EC values and formulations.
• Analysis Techniques: Learn sampling and laboratory analysis for soil, water, and leaves, including extraction methods , interpretation, and norms.
• Irrigation Water: Study the effects of salinity, sodium hazard, toxic substances, water classification, corrosion index, pH, and sampling.
• Pests and Diseases: Study spray equipment, droplet size, equipment care, chemical preparation/storage, sanitation in cool rooms/sheds, and pesticide records. Explore climate’s effect on diseases, pests, bacteria, and fungi via slideshows, and evaluate spray program effectiveness.
• Abnormal Growth: Identify growth issues not linked to nutrition, pests, or diseases.
• pF Curves: Understand water retention in substrates using pF curves.